Stock and action clamp



Nov. 17, 1959 A. .1. LIZZA STOCK AND ACTION CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D90. 20, 1957 INVENTOR. A11:|a1 1 J Lizzn.

Nov. 17, 1959 A. J. LIZZA STOCK AND ACTION CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1957 INVENTOR. Albari J Lizzu STOCK AND ACTION CLAMP Albert J. Lizza, Willimansett, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application December 20, 1957, Serial No. 704,220

2 Claims. (Cl. 42-75) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to shoulder arms and more particularly to clamp means for releasably joining the rifle action to the supporting stock therefor.

In the past, difliculty has been experienced, particularly with those shoulder arms intended primarily for military use, in the rapid disassembly and assembly of the riflle action to the supporting stock. Some of the weapons require a partial disassembly of the operating mechanism before the stock may be removed, which obviously disturbs the relationship of the components of the operating mechanism and, therefore, the operating characteristics of the weapon on reassembly. Others, while overcoming this undesirable feature have provided clamp means comprised of separable components which are sometimes mislaid or lost because of the difficult conditions under which the weapons must sometimes be disassembled in combat conditions.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide clamp means for shoulder arms whereby the rifle action may be disassembled from a stock as a unit so that the relationship of the components in the rifle action need not be disturbed.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a clamping means which is removable from the stock with the rifle action to prevent loss or the mislaying thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a clamping means which is actuatable by the pivotable movement of the trigger guard.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a clamping means which is actuatable by the trigger guard in both closed or open position, whereby the trigger may be either protected or exposed for actuation by a mittened hand during winter operation.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of the clamping means showing the trigger guard in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the clamp in position for disassembly of the rifle action from the stock and (in phantom) the position of the clamp assembly when the trigger guard is in the open winter trigger position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the rifle action partially removed from the stock;

Fig. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view taken along line 66 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the clamp assembly shown in perspective.

Shown in the figures is a rifle composed of a rifle action 12 and a supporting stock 14. Rifle action 12 includes a receiver 16 to the underside of which there is 2,912,781 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 "ice? mounted a trigger housing 18 with a depending trigger 20. Trigger housing 18 extends downwardly through a vertical slot 22 provided through stock 14 so that trigger 20 extends therefrom. Slot 22 communicates with a magazine well 24 which extends forwardly therefrom and is of a greater width.

Pivotally mounted to the front end of trigger housing 18 is a clamp assembly including a jaw member 26 and a trigger guard 28. Jaw member 26 is comprised of a body portion 30 having outwardly extending flange portions 32 disposed for engagement with the bottom side of stock 14 on both sides of slot 22 and a pair of laterally spaced arms 34 extending upwardly from the front end of such body portion. A pin 36 extends transversely through the front end of trigger housing 18 and the free ends of the arm 34 for pivotally mounting the jaw member 26 to such trigger housing. Whereby, when the jaw member is pivoted downwardly to a vertical position the flanges 32 are aligned with magazine well 24 so as to pass upwardly therethrough.

Trigger guard 28 is comprised of a pair of laterally spaced mounting portions 38 which receive the free end of jaw member 26 therebetween and a guard portion 40 which encircles trigger 20 when such trigger guard is in the closed position. A pin 42 is mounted through accommodating holes in the mounting portions 38 and the end of jaw member 26 engaged thereby to pivotal'ly mount trigger guard 28 to such jaw member.

Provided in each of the mounting portions 38 is a notch 44 which cooperates as hereinafter described with a pin 46 mounted transversely through the lower part of trigger housing 18. Each of the notches 44 is comprised of an arcuate portion 48 and a mouth portion 50 disposed midway of such arcuate portion to provide entrance of pin 46 thereinto.

The notches 44 are so disposed that the mouth portions 50 are positioned to receive pin 46 when trigger guard 28 is pivoted approximately midway of the closed position and a winter trigger position wherein guard portion 40 extends vertically downward providing space for the actuation of trigger 20 by a mittened hand. The side of arcuate portion 48 which lies opposite mouth portion 50 and is noted at 52 is concentric to pin 42 while that of the sides noted at 54 which are adjacent the mouth portion are of shorter radius so that the engagement thereof with pin 42 provides a camming action which clamps the flange portion 32 against the underside of stock 14 and thereby secures rifle action 12 thereto when trigger guard 28 is pivoted either to the closed or open winter trigger position. Trigger guard 28 is releasably secured in the closed position through the cooperation of a latch 56 on the free end thereof with a cooperating notch 58 in trigger housing 18. When the rifle is to be used in the winter trigger position all that is required is to unlatch trigger guard 28 and pivot such portion to open position.

When rifle action 12 is to be disassembled from stock 14, trigger guard 28 is pivoted so as to align mouth portion 50 with pin 46, whereby jaw member 26 is free to be pivoted so as to align the flange portions 32 with magazine well 24. Rifle action 12 is now free to be removed intact from stock 14. Assembly is achieved by reversing the above-described operation.

From the foregoing, it is clearly apparent that the disassembly of rifle action 12 from stock 14 is easily effected by the clamp assembly of this invention and that the hazard of losing or mislaying loose parts during such disassembly has been eliminated. It is also apparent that this disassembly does not disturb the relationship of the parts of the rifle action to alter the firing characteristics of the rifle when reassembled. Moreover, the clamp 3 functions equally well whether trigger guard 28 is in the closed or Open winter trigger position.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim:

1. For a rifle having a rifle action with a trigger housing provided with a depending trigger and a stock provided With a slot for receiving the trigger housing and a magazine well of greater width communicating therewith, a clamp assembly for releasably securing the rifle action to the stock including a jaw member pivotally mounted to the trigger housing for engagement with the underside of the stock or alignment with the magazine well for passage therethrough, a. trigger guard pivotally mounted to said jaw member for movement between a closed position encircling the trigger and an open winter trigger position, a pin transversely mounted to the trigger housing, and means cooperating with said pin and said trigger guard for clamping said jaw member against the stock for releasably securing the rifle action thereto when said trigger guard is moved to the closed position or the open winter trigger position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means includes notch means in said trigger guard provided with an arcuate portion having sliding cooperation with said pin, a mouth portion for introducing said pin into said arcuate portion midway the ends thereof, and cam portions extending from said mouth portion to said ends for cooperation with said pin for clamping said flange'portions against the stock when said trigger guard is moved to the open trigger position or the closed position."

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,750,700 Harvey June 19, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 245,111 Switzerland July 1, 1947 

